For Planners

We are here to help you bring Meaning and The OPA! Way® into your organization.  We will work with you to customize the program so that, together, we can deliver an inspirational, practical, and meaningful program.
 
In this section, we provide photos, book covers, short biographies, draft introductions, and program requirements.  Please contact us for availability, further information, or to answer any specific questions you may have by email: maria@theopaway.com or phone: (505) 988 5881.

Photos and Book Covers:

Right click on the photo or book cover to copy for your program guide and promotional use.

  
Alex Pattakos, Ph.D.
Founder, The OPA! Way® and OPA! Center for Meaning

  
Elaine Dundon
CEO, The OPA! Way® and OPA! Center for Meaning

Short Biographies

Please see the In the Media! section of this website for longer biographies.

Alex Pattakos, Ph.D. “ALEKO”

Alex Pattakos, Ph.D., is a “Modern-Day Greek Philosopher,” internationally-recognized leader of the "Meaning Movement," and founder of The OPA! Way®, a new approach to Living & Working with Meaning that is uniquely inspired by Greek philosophy and culture, and the OPA! Center for Meaning. A very proud Greek American (of Cretan heritage), Alex believes passionately and authentically that each of us can find deeper meaning in our lives, each day, every day. Alex is the author of the international best-selling book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts, which is available in 20 languages, including Greek, and numerous formats. A U.S. Army veteran, he is also a former therapist and mental health administrator, political campaign organizer, and full-time professor of public and business administration. As a pioneer in the personal transformation area, Alex has worked globally to help individuals and organizations develop their full potential. His unique approach is both inspirational and practical. He is currently writing (with Dr. Elaine Dundon) a new book on The OPA! Way® and continues to explore his Greek heritage.

Elaine Dundon, “ELENI”

Elaine Dundon is CEO of the OPA! Center for Meaning and The OPA! Way®, a new approach to Living & Working with Meaning that is uniquely inspired by Greek philosophy and culture. Following the completion of her MBA degree, Elaine spent 15 years working in Brand Management, including at Procter & Gamble. Expanding her interest in Innovation Management, Elaine founded The Innovation Group Consulting Inc. (1995), designed and taught the first-of-its-kind course on Innovation Management at the University of Toronto (1999), and authored an international best-selling book, The Seeds of Innovation. As her work in Innovation Management evolved, her focus shifted to the "Human Side of Innovation" and specificially, Meaning, which her experience and research show is the key area for determining success. In support of her growing interest in Meaning, Elaine travelled many times to Greece, studied Greek Philosophy and Metaphysics, and co-authored the exciting new book The OPA! Way (forthcoming 2013). Now in her role as CEO of the OPA! Center for Meaning, Elaine is leading the Meaning Movement and helping others truly Live and Work with Meaning. OPA!

Draft Introductions

Alex Pattakos, Ph.D.
Let me introduce today’s speaker.  Dr. Alex Pattakos (pronounced like "Pa Tacos") is a “Modern-Day Greek Philosopher” and internationally-recognized leader of the "Meaning Movement," who is authentically focused on bringing Meaning to everyday life, work, and the workplace. A very proud Greek American (of Cretan heritage), he is the founder of The OPA! Way®, a new approach to Living & Working with Meaning that is uniquely inspired by Greek philosophy and culture and the OPA! Center for Meaning. Alex believes passionately that each of us can find deeper meaning in our lives, each day, every day. Among his many publications, he is the author of the international best-selling book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts, which is available in 20 languages, including Greek, and numerous formats. A U.S. Army veteran, Alex is also a former therapist and mental health administrator, political campaign organizer and full-time professor of public and business administration. As a pioneer in the personal transformation area, Alex has worked globally to help individuals and organizations develop their full potential. He is currently writing (with Dr. Elaine Dundon) a new book on The OPA! Way® and continues to explore his Greek heritage. Today we’ve invited Alex (Aleko in Greek) to share his thoughts and techniques on how we all can "Live and Work with Meanng." I know you will find his unique approach to be both inspirational and practical. Please welcome Dr. Alex Pattakos, Aleko... OPA!

Elaine Dundon

Let me introduce today’s speaker.  Elaine Dundon (pronounced like "Done Done") is CEO of the OPA! Center for Meaning and The OPA! Way®, a new approach to Living & Working with Meaning that is uniquely inspired by Greek philosophy and culture. Following the completion of her MBA degree, Elaine spent 15 years working in Brand Management, including at Procter & Gamble. Expanding her interest in Innovation Management, Elaine founded The Innovation Group Consulting Inc. (1995), designed and taught the first-of-its-kind course on Innovation Management at the University of Toronto (1999), and authored an international best-selling book, The Seeds of Innovation. As her work in Innovation Management evolved, her focus shifted to the "Human Side of Innovation" and specifically, Meaning, which her experience and research show is the key area for determining success. In support of her growing interest in Meaning, Elaine travelled many times to Greece, studied Greek Philosophy and Metaphysics, and co-authored the exciting new book The OPA! Way (forthcoming 2013). Now in her role as CEO of the OPA! Center for Meaning, Elaine is leading the Meaning Movement and helping others truly Live and Work with Meaning. Today we've invited Elaine (Eleni in Greek) to share her thoughts on how we can all "Live and Work with Meaning." I know that you will find her approach both inspirational and practical. Please welcome Elaine Dundon, Eleni... OPA!

Program Requirements

As the requirements for each program are unique, we welcome the opportunity to discuss these general guidelines with you.   Here is a list of items for our discussion:

1) Room Setup: no podium is required or preferred.  Audience set up (round tables, theatre style, etc..) to be discussed.

2) Microphone: We prefer a lavalier or cordless lapel microphone so that we are not tied to one spot or the podium (and can have both arms/hands free!).  This approach helps us walk around the stage or front of/around the room, during the program and deliver a more engaging and inspirational program.

3) AV equipment: Please supply a LCD projector and large screen.  We will supply our own laptops/remote cordless mouse.

4) Lighting: please adjust the lights so that the audience can see both the speaker and the screen(s).

5) Please provide a small table at the front of the room or on stage. Please provide water, preferably spring water, on the table.

6) Book signing prior to or following the program: to be discussed.

7) Airfare: From Santa Fe, New Mexico (SFA), or Albuquerque, New Mexico (ABQ).

8) Learning Resources: To be discussed. Learning Resources can be used to reinforce the key messages and facilitate continuous learning.

We look forward to bringing The OPA! Way® into your organization or association.  OPA!

The OPA! Way®: Living & Working with Meaning! OPA!